fishdoc

OK like I promised in another thread I'd dig out some of my "firsts"...You want to see UGLY...LMAO...This is what I call UGLY they're so bad. BUT even funnier is that all but 2 have caught fish! The pic with the 4 poppers and one Needlefish (I think...lol) were pre lathe. Broom or rake handles cut and shaped with files and sand paper. The blue and white caught a number of bass, the biggest being around 15 pounds. The red and white was a killer, taking many bass and blues. The last bass it caught was 24 3/4 lbs in broad daylight over a rock off Scarboro beach in the heat of summer. The popper with scales has accounted for numerous blues mainly because as long as it moves they'll hit it, but some days they wouldn't touch it. Put the white/red on and WHAM! The needlefish (that's a stretch) was never fished...probably out of embarrassment...to-hell with it, I'm puttin' some hooks on it and throwin' it this year. The other photo, which I’ve labeled ugly plugs 2 in my pic folder, is post lathe. Surer than hell doesn't look like I improved much. The pink and orange poppers (notice the busted wood on the heads) have produced many blues when nothing else was working...Go Figure??? The fat assed needle and the "doesn't know which end is forward" needle, I must admit never caught a fish. I think I only threw each of them for only one cast. Note the yellow one...the paint is buckling...it was after the first and only cast...it was pre sealer...LMAO. The 2 pencil poppers are made of hard rock maple and have a good slug of weight in their tails. On a good day with the right rod and reel/line combination I think they'd cast to Block Island. However, you'd better start reeling fast 'cause they get to the bottom real quickly...so much for being surface plugs...LMAO again! The gigunda spook has never hit the water either...probably also out of embarrassment, and the fear that I might scare the hell out of something if it landed near a living thing...9 inches long, pine 5/0 VMC's and doll eyes. I have no way to through drill 9 inches, so I ripped a piece of pine into a 2 X 2 inch piece and then ripped it in half. Dropped the table saw blade down so it just skinned a groove the length of both halves. I then Gorilla glued it back together and popped into the lathe. Nose and tail grommets are stainless washers; the through wire is 316 SS welding wire. The only other to have ss wire is the yellow ugly. All the others have galvanized wire and were through drilled with my hand drill...Ya, they "ain't" EXACTLY THROUGH THE MIDDLE, or at least not 'till they came off the lathe.
I've gotta tell you the learning experience is to die for...well maybe not THAT good, "priceless" might be a better choice of words. As I reflect on this, those black, blue/white, red/white and dual ended black needle were made so long ago I had an Apple 2 E for a computer and there was no such thing as the internet...OH, that's right we can thank Al Gore for that...what a LOAD!
Hope y'all get a kick out of these; I had a hell-of-a-time just reminiscing!

Attached Images

	uglyplugs1.jpg (576.0 KB, 7 views)
	uglyplugs2.jpg (637.3 KB, 7 views)

ReelCrazySportfishing

LOL im charging the batteries in the camera as I type

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Bob & Mag

This is going to be a "GOOD" thread.
Looks like teeth marks on some of those and a couple even have scales.
It's always a great idea to keep a few as you start doing things differently.
Down the road seeing the progression in artistry is amazing.

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fishdoc

Sorry there is only one pencil popper (black) in the pics...other one rolled onto floor as I took the picture..LOL

Charleston

Aint no crappy ones round he-ah!

fishdoc

That's good Bill...Instant success..no drips, no runs, no errors!

RI Popper

hey Dick, I'm only doing this to make you feel good I really don't like posting this pic but here are some lures I made about 7 years ago that I fished and they caught a lot of stripers but man were they ugly:
OK now Laugh you *** off

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RI Popper

oops forgot to tell you for a long time my largest topwater striper came off that long yellow stick it was 37 pounds from Sandy point.

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fishdoc

Well, at least you and I are honest...or should I say..not affraid to show our progress. I've seen some posts on some sites of "first" plugs. Some guys just have the knack I guess other's...well, not so "knacky"...LOL But I sure am not ashamed of what I've made long ago, just happy to have improved over the years.
I thought that more builders would fess up their early attempts or at least some screw ups, it would make this thread a hoot!

JayR

I've only taken one lure to the paint stage and you've all seen it....


I sure hope they get better from this point. My paint skils have a long way to go.


There, you've got my firsts.... (and only)

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